1. Field of the Invention
The invention provides devices and methods for improving rates of hydrocarbon recovery from production wells. In particular aspects, the invention relates to the improvement of fluid flow characteristics along production tubulars.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrocarbon production fluid is produced though production tubing within a wellbore. Most typically, the production tubing is formed of a plurality of production tubing segments that are secured to one another by threading in an end-to-end manner to form a continuous string. The string is then cemented into the wellbore. A number of factors contribute to the efficiency with which fluid can be produced through production tubing. Among these factors is the amount of fluid flow friction that is created as the production fluid passes through the production tubing and the amount of flow area that is available within the production tubing.
Coated tubing has been used in the past to minimize this roughness factor, but such coatings are expensive and have been problematic in the past. U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,615 issued to Gandy et al. describes a technique for reducing corrosion, clogging and fluid flow friction within wellbore tubulars by subjecting the inside diameter surfaces to an electropolishing treatment prior to assembly and installation into the well bore.